Euro Trio Larrazabal, MacIntyre & Mansell Question DP World Tour’s Part In Historic PGA Tour Deal

6 months ago by Comments Off on Euro Trio Larrazabal, MacIntyre & Mansell Question DP World Tour’s Part In Historic PGA Tour Deal

No sooner did we learn news of the PGA Tour and the Strategic Sports Group (SSG) have reached an historic agreement that will see SSG, a consortium of investors and sports franchise owners, infusing up to $3 billion into the Tour and the m is deal is being questioned by three top DP World Tour members.

The agreement will result in the launch of PGA Tour Enterprises, a commercial venture under the PGA Tour’s control. Players will have equity in the new company, a first also in the PGA Tour’s history.

However, the news clearly does not sit well with the likes of Spain’s Pablo Larrazbal, top-ranked Scot and now PGA Tour member Robert MacIntyre and England’s Richard Mansell.

The trio took to their ‘X’ accounts before DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley responded to the PGA Tour news by emailing all DP World Tour members.

DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley

In his newsletter Pelley emailed to members he said: “As DP World Tour members you weill be rightly pose the question, what does this mean for us?  Let me outline some thoughts.

“First thing to say is that the game of golf as we know it is changing and I believe this provides the opportunity for unity.]

“Secondly, as it says in the press release, negotiations involving ourselves, the PGA Tourand the PIF are still on-going and I believe the announcement gives continued momentum to those discussions as well as being an important step to possible overall alignment between all four entities, SSG included.

“Thirdly, the SSG, led by their principal investor, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), are unquestionably impacted in the US but more importantly, they have a distinct global focus – it is the reason FSG became owners of Liverpool Football Club in 2010 for example

“Such global focus, as I outlined to the media and to many players during my recent two weeks in Dubai, is crucial to the forward momentum of the game and it is important that this latest entrant into our sport has this as part of their thinking.

“Finally for the avoidance of any doubt, our current Strategic Alliance with the PGA Tour which guarantees our prize funds and the Ten Cards initiative , remains firmly in place”.

Pelley rounded off his 15 paragraphs note to members singing the praise of the Ten Cards initiative and praising the French media for their coverage of Matthieu Pavon’s Farmers Insurance Open success, and how Pavon’s triumph will addd to the impact of his return to contest the French Open in October.

As well, Pelley used the newsletter to congratulate Thorjborn Olesen’s ‘comprehensive victory’ in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship.

Pelley’s note to the DP World Tour rank-and-file generated the following ‘X’ messages

Firstly, Larrazabal

Next there was this ‘X’ posting by MacIntyre.

And there was this from Mansell.

You could argue all is not well among the rank-and-file competing on the DP World Tour but there’s no questioning Pelley’s intent in keeping members informed.

Of course, there will be many more questions to come including where PIF now stands in finally ending the hostilities we’ve seen in the men’s professional game.

One would hope that Larrazabal’s later comment following his initial ‘X’ message, and posted by the champion Spaniard following Pelley’s letter to members, is proved incorrect.



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